It’s been almost three and a half years since the dedicated pilots of Air Transport International (ATI), the largest Amazon Air carrier in the world, began work to secure a contract that keeps stride with the industry standard. Since day one, ATI pilots have been clear in their commitment to a market-based contract and will continue to demand that management bring to the table a strong response to our economic proposal.

Management has pulled every possible tactic to delay, postpone, and ignore what each one of our pilots rightfully deserves: a contract that recognizes the value we bring to our company and the market value of our skill and experience.

“An agreement should have been reached by now but the Company doesn’t seem able to comprehend the impact their ambivalence has on our airline,” said Capt. Mike Sterling, chair of the ATI pilots’ union. “They don’t understand why a record number of pilots have left for airlines that value and respect their profession with strong compensation packages and more flexible work schedules.”

We’ve earned a new contract.

ATI pilots showed up throughout the unknown of the pandemic to deliver upon the increased demand for cargo. We continue to work diligently to maintain our stellar reputation, often despite the Company’s incompetence. We regularly earn performance bonuses for our company, contributing to ATSG’s soaring profits. We suffer unreliable schedules, while missing birthdays and special family events, to ensure our cargo arrives at its destination. We are skilled, experienced, proud, professional airline pilots.

We’re facing yet another peak season operating under an outdated contract, pay rates that haven’t increased since March 2022, and staffing gaps caused by record pilot attrition damaging our quality of life. Management’s disrespect for our pilots and our families has no bounds.

ATI pilots deserve better. We’re asking the public to stand behind our union and embrace our efforts to secure a fair and equitable contract.

For more information, click here.

“We’ve worked tirelessly to remove entry barriers for the air cargo industry,” said Chennault Executive Director Kevin Melton. “We’ve made investments in facilities, and we will invest in ground equipment to support the industry. We’re committed to share the risk associated with new markets.”

New Air Cargo Facility

The new facility along the central U.S. Gulf Coast includes a 1,000-square-foot office area and an expandable 9,000-square foot-warehouse. The adjacent aircraft parking apron is 127,000 square feet, able to accommodate large and small cargo aircraft.  The facility was built to attract international cargo, in addition to domestic, and the airport will work with industry partners to help certify the building for international cargo clearance.

Ground Support Equipment

The airport has budgeted for the acquisition of more than $500,000 of specialized air cargo ground equipment to mitigate a capital expense related to start-up activity.  The airport will work closely with industry partners regarding specific equipment needs for their operation and then help secure that equipment, reflecting its strong commitment to collaboration.

Incentives

Chennault is now offering a package of incentives with a potential value of $300,000-plus including two years of free rent on the new air cargo facility with a five-year commitment.  The airport will also waive landing fees for all commercial air cargo landings for two years leaving no stone unturned in its effort to attract the industry.

Already a Diverse, Busy Complex

Chennault International Airport is a former U.S. Air Force base that is now a complex for aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services; high-end aircraft refinishing; and non-aerospace manufacturing. The major businesses at Chennault include Northrop Grumman, Citadel Completions, Landlocked Aviation Services, Louisiana Millwork/Masonite, and Million Air.  Chennault’s other advantages include its two-mile-long runway, its uncongested airspace and ground space, recent improvements, and the additional land available to significantly expand.

For more information about Chennault and the new air cargo facility, visit chennault.org.

In supporting the continued development of Singapore’s biopharma hub, Changi Airport Group, together with our air cargo partners, formed Pharma@Changi, the first and largest CEIV Pharma Community in Asia Pacific. Comprising stakeholders from each node of the air cargo supply chain, Pharma@Changi aims to enhance Changi’s pharmaceutical handling capabilities through the adoption of industry best practices in pharmaceutical transportation and assessing emerging pharmaceutical logistics trends and technologies as a community.

End-to-End Temperature Controlled and Secured Airport Environment
With growing volumes and transportation requirements for temperature-controlled cargo, Changi’s air cargo community has steadily ramped up its cool chain infrastructure and equipment over the years. Today, both our cargo handlers have invested in state-of-the-art temperature-controlled warehouse facilities with combined handling capacity of more than 375,000 tonnes. To facilitate seamless delivery of pharmaceutical cargo into the region, the Changi air cargo hub boasts close to 30,000 sqm of temperature-controlled warehouse facilities within the Airport Free Trade Zone (FTZ). With 24/7 access control within the Airport FTZ and 24/7 shipment monitoring and security surveillance systems by logistics partners, Changi Airport prides itself as a secure air cargo hub in the region.

Qualified Cool Chain Specialists
Beyond an extensive cold chain infrastructure, Changi’s cargo community has dedicated teams of cold chain specialists who are trained in accordance with globally accredited standards including GDP and CEIV Pharma. These teams are accredited and qualified to handle active and passive containers, including the handling of dry ice.

Unparalleled Connectivity
Changi Airport is connected to more than 170 cities globally through 127 airline partners including 25 freighter operators². Singapore is also well-connected through land and sea with efficient customs processes to ensure seamless multi-modal transportation of cargo.

With strong cold chain standards, capabilities and infrastructure coupled with extensive connectivity, we have got your cold chain covered.

To find out more about Changi Airport, please visit changiairport.com/cargo

¹Source: Economic Development Board
²As of January 2020

Unfortunately, failure to properly track and share data around these shipments is leaving gaps in supply chain visibility that could threaten shipment integrity or leave freight forwarders and shippers unaware of the status of their shipments. However, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) capability across a connected Internet of Things (IoT) can illuminate shipment status across the logistics chain.

Industry leaders are well aware of the threat to shipments during the “gray spaces” in their transit, and ULD companies are working to adopt more IoT solutions to improve tracking capabilities. Over the past year, container companies including Unilode and Jettainer have worked to improve digital connectivity of their container fleets, with the addition of BLE tags and commitments to creating digital twins of containers. BLE implementation is only the first step in providing visibility, though. According to recent Air Cargo World reporting, gray spaces in the chain of custody will remain while the industry lacks a single viewpoint to bring together data across the logistics chain.

“The idea of having these tags that you can interact with on a remote basis and use as a way of tracking freight and the condition of the freight, we think this is maybe going to be one of the biggest innovations that’s around at the moment,” says Henk Mulder, the head of digital cargo at the International Air Transport Association. “We [at IATA] are doing a lot of work on tracking what I would call static data — in other words, data related to shipments, to bookings, to where something is in the process. But the actual dynamic data of the status of freight is something that is very much on the rise.”

CODEX by Virtual Control aims to shine a light into the gray spaces in shipping. Using AI-assisted inspections, pharma companies and freight forwarders can introduce verification and visibility checkpoints throughout the transportation and ULD hand-over process. By providing a platform combining BLE tag data, information about the physical ULD conditions and custodian parties, shipments can be monitored holistically. Being able to identify every single party in charge of the shipment at any point in time, shippers can be confident that their crucial and valuable shipments will arrive for end-use safely, which is good news for all insurance companies too.

“It’s a nice new application, what Virtual Control has done, because what typically [BLE] devices are used for is things like temperature tracking, tamper-proofing of containers and things like that,” says IATA’s Mulder. “To also use that to then track the state of the actual unit, the condition itself, and the party in charge are what’s new.”

Protecting active container shipments

Aside from the problems that arise when the industry is missing a holistic view of transportation data, the expected problems of damage to containers are even more costly when it comes to active containers used for some high-value pharma shipments. The damages to these containers during shipments can lead to high price tags for carriers, which may discourage their use in the industry despite the benefits active containers offer for certain shipments. One airline that worked with ULD Care noted that 25% of its rentals of active temperature-controlled ULDs ended with a repair charge.

“I’ve talked to a couple of airlines who say if you look at all the associated costs resulting from damages and so on, the temperature-controlled thing doesn’t make sense,” says Bob Rogers, vice president and treasurer of ULD Care. For more on how digitizing ULD management can improve visibility into chain of custody and ULD repair, see “Digitizing the ULD transfer process and protecting shipments with Virtual Control.”

How do manual processes slow down ULD management?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, air cargo has been the bright spot for aviation, with e-commerce demand in particular growing rapidly. Work procedures at airports and with airlines have changed due to the pandemic, in many cases making manual processes more difficult. Data accessibility and keeping track of cargo and equipment can ease operational bottlenecks, which manual processes slow. With a mode as fast as airfreight, every day counts and when ULDs need repairs, faster access to information means significant improvements in ULD downtime.

Hong Kong-based engineering and ULD repair company Ground Support Engineering Ltd (GSEL) is trialing Virtual Control’s cloud solution and expects the technology to address some of its major pain points. One of the company’s major challenges involves the lack of visibility into the repairs needed, with no clarity into the number of damaged ULDs or the extent of the damage.

A secondary pain point relates to the inspections required for damaged containers by the Federal Aviation Administration, which must be completed by certified inspectors under FAR 145. With no visibility into the number of inspections needed or efficient method of recording the inspections, planning around inspections is a painstaking process that involves manual logging of containers and handwritten notes that are then transcribed into the computer system.

The manual logging process poses more challenges than the slow task of entering handwritten notes into a computer system, however. The nonprofit organization ULD CARE estimates that the airline industry spends roughly $300 million per year repairing ULDs, with a current lack of accountability due to an opaque transfer process. As the parties held responsible by regulatory authorities, airlines are primarily left with the repair bill.

Even when containers are undamaged, virtually every major airport has a yard full of ULDs, some of which fall out of manual systems as notes are lost or overlooked.

“The vast majority of transfers are airlines to third parties — ground handlers, freight forwarders, cargo terminals, and then cargo terminals to freight forwarders,” says Bob Rogers, vice president and treasurer of ULD Care. “This is where the visibility and the accountability of the whole thing drops off.”

With no easy way to locate these missing containers, asset management becomes difficult for ULD management companies and airlines. With a paper trail gone cold, determining responsibility through the chain of custody may be impossible.

What efficiencies are realized by digitizing ULD management?

Digitization eliminates or mitigates many of these concerns. Improved visibility into ULD transfers will help airlines, which bear the regulatory responsibility for ensuring ULDs are properly maintained, address problem areas in the handling process of GSPs and work toward reducing ULD damages and associated repair costs.

When repairs are needed, the ability to scan damaged ULDs and log damages into a system accessible to repair companies cuts down on repair time by allowing the firms to prepare and respond more quickly.

“If we have a better idea of the damage, we can confirm against spare parts in stock and which spare parts will have to be ordered to decrease the turnaround time,” potentially reducing turnaround time for ULD repairs by as much as 50%, says GSEL General Manager Dirk Scott.

The mandatory inspection process of every pallet and ULD during any handover process and change of custody is also made significantly easier thanks to digital processes. The automated data exchange with ULD stock management systems helps to get full transparency in real-time. With the damage identified before arrival at a repair facility, and the number of containers to be repaired already known, inspectors know roughly what to expect and can complete inspections more quickly. Efficiency is also improved on the administrative side, as inspectors scan containers digitally and make notes only once, in a digital format that is visible to all parties, allowing for more time in inspections and less time completing forms.

The digital logging of ULDs and the availability of trusted data across the entire ULD management process will support the entire air cargo ecosystem by creating a clear chain of custody and physically logging the location of ULDs upon scanning.

To support the COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts, United Cargo has also transported more than 113 million pounds of medical and pharmaceutical products on both cargo-only and passenger flights as well as approximately 10 million COVID-19 vaccines, providing global communities access to the items they have needed most. Since the end of December 2020, we have completed numerous vaccine-transport missions and continue to refine our processes to ensure this vital cargo is transported in the safest, most efficient way possible. This means creating comprehensive solutions, like adding a dedicated team of experts handling vaccine shipments and customer inquiries, while also enhancing our internal processes to ensure we clearly identify vaccine shipments and assign them higher boarding priority to allow for greater shipment visibility.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, we knew we were uniquely positioned to utilize our widebody aircraft and our network to keep commodities moving, so we quickly mobilized various departments throughout the airline to launch a cargo-only network of flights that would keep commodities moving,” said United Cargo President Jan Krems. “Thanks to those efforts, United Cargo has delivered millions of items to countries all around the world. We would not have been successful without the steadfast support of our employees, industry partners and our customers.”

Since last March, United Cargo has transported almost 850 million pounds of freight on cargo-only and passenger flights. The airline will continue to monitor market trends adjust its cargo-only flight schedules to help ensure we are meeting our customer’s evolving shipping needs.

Why air charters are soaring?

In 2020, eCommerce sales jumped by 30% as consumers who followed stay-at-home orders and social-distancing measures looked for convenient and reliable online shopping options with faster delivery times. Prioritizing accessibility, ease and well-being, the demand among consumers exploded for expedited shipping options, including second-day, overnight and even same-day deliveries. Consumers have been willing to pay more in order to receive essential items swiftly and safely; and shorter lead times—not brand names—are determining customer loyalty. Experts see the shift in shopping habits running deeper than a trend and more towards a fundamental change in the way people make purchases with a lasting social and psychological impact on shoppers.

The large increase in air charters has enabled retailers to achieve faster deliveries with shorter lead times in the most competitive and disrupted markets in modern history. Retailers have also had to pivot and ensure the online shopping experience for their customers is seamless and highly integrative to deliver a consistent and reliable digital experience across all platforms.

Another vital component of business and customer retention involves sustainability—research shows that nearly 90% of Americans would buy products from companies who support social and environmental responsibility. Through eCommerce dedicated charter flights, we can see a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions, considering the majority of emissions are produced at engine start and take-off. This is a mission-critical factor for retailers working to reduce their carbon footprint while pinpointing smarter, sustainable routes to their customers.

How it’s helping retailers?

For Apex, the move to increase dedicated charters has supported retailers with flights that allow for faster recovery at the destination without terminal delay issues—making gains in accelerating fulfillment for a positive customer experience while meeting increased consumer expectations in an on-demand delivery culture with reliable dedicated charters.

In these times of turbulence and uncertainty, Apex has proven to develop and implement strategic solutions to exceed customer expectations and deliver with passion.

Learn more about how Apex can help you elevate your customer experience.

The COV special handling code is only applicable to COVID-19 vaccine shipments booked internationally as Pharma (CON, MEC, CHP, RMT) or domestically as DASH Critical (DMD) and Critical Heavy (EAG). If temperature-control storage is needed, COV vaccine shipments can be booked as Pharma (CON, MEC, CHP, RMT) domestically.

Delta’s extensive experience in shipping vaccines involves years of building an operation validated by Pharma industry standards and includes being the first U.S. passenger airline to receive IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators Pharma Logistics Certification at our Atlanta hub and headquarters. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta offered four tailored pharmaceutical shipping options that meet specific temperature requirements for vaccines – ensuring integrity through the entire journey.

With large warehouses and cooler facilities in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York-JFK and Seattle, as well as a network of 49 certified Pharma airports across the globe, Delta has the necessary infrastructure in place to support COVID-19 vaccine shipments. In addition to robust domestic shipment capabilities to support rapid distribution within the U.S., Delta has a broad and nimble global distribution network in coordination with strong airline partners – providing worldwide reach with stop-gap reliability and greater ability to warehouse and ship vaccines from more global hubs.

For bookings, contact our dedicated team via email at vaccine@delta.com or call the Delta Cargo Customer Service Center at +1 (800) 352-2746 and press “2”, then “3” when prompted.

Visit deltacargo.com for more information.